In just half an hour, Yang Kai had ascended a level. The efficacy of the "Body Tempering Chapter" was self-evident. Although part of the credit belonged to Yang Kai's own hard work, without this manual, he believed it would have taken him at least another three or four months to advance.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Yang Kai couldn't hold back his breath and exhaled deeply.
A dark, smoke-like breath emanated from his mouth, dirty and foul, raising a cloud of dust. As he expelled this breath, Yang Kai felt a lightness envelop his entire body, his senses becoming significantly sharper.
"Is this postnatal impurity?" Yang Kai was astonished.
Each advancement in the Body Tempering Realm expelled impurities from the body. Yang Kai had experienced this before, but never to such an extent.
Countless thoughts and joys swirled in Yang Kai's mind, refusing to fade. Even though this single training session had resulted in a level-up, he hadn't yet tapped into the full potential of the "Body Tempering Chapter." He had only practiced less than one percent of its routines. If such minimal effort could yield such results, what would happen if he practiced the entire manual?
But haste makes waste. Rushing won't lead to good results.
After pondering deeply for a moment, Yang Kai began to outline his future path. Although not entirely clear, it was more structured than his previous aimless approach. For the first time, he felt a surge of anticipation.
After a light meal, Yang Kai grabbed his broom and began his duties as a sweeper.
Though Yang Kai was a mere sweeper in the Lingxiao Pavilion, he wasn't responsible for cleaning the entire sect. He only had to clean one-tenth of it. Therefore, the task wasn't overly taxing, usually taking about an hour to complete.
From her vantage point in the treetops, Xia Ning Chang watched the activities of the sect's disciples. She noticed Yang Kai sweeping the same spot for half an hour, lost in thought. The ground was polished to a shine, reflecting light as if it were a mirror. She couldn't help but smile at the absurdity.
Yang Kai was indeed lost in thought, contemplating his future after yesterday's significant gain. However, he couldn't come up with any concrete plans. With only half an hour of training time before sunrise, he wondered how to spend the rest of his day.
As he pondered, someone bumped into him from behind. Yang Kai quickly dodged, but the other person moved in the same direction, leading to a collision.
Yang Kai was unscathed, merely swaying slightly. The other person, however, felt as if they had hit a steel wall, falling to the ground with a yelp, the impact numbing their body.
Yang Kai snapped out of his thoughts, looking apologetically at the person. "Are you alright, Junior Brother?"
The person was initially angry but recognized Yang Kai, the sect's punching bag, and his anger dissipated. There was no point in getting mad at someone like him, especially since he was partly at fault.
"Nothing serious!" the person said, getting up and hurrying away.
"Where are you rushing to?" Yang Kai called after him.
"To the Contribution Hall, of course!" came the distant reply.
Yang Kai suddenly remembered that today was the eighth, the day when the sect distributed last month's contributions.
The Contribution Hall was always bustling on this day, filled with disciples eager to exchange their contributions for elixirs, weapons, or martial arts manuals. For many, it was a day of excitement and anticipation.
But not for Yang Kai. He was one of the unlucky ones.
Standing still, Yang Kai calculated his contributions and couldn't help but frown. Last month, he had earned a meager ten points from sweeping, but had lost six points in fights, leaving him with only four points.
This was disheartening.
Thankfully, as a trial disciple, he only lost one point per defeat. Regular disciples would lose two points, which would have left him with nothing.
Counting his blessings, Yang Kai resumed his sweeping.
By noon, he finished his tasks and headed to the Contribution Hall.
By this time, the initial rush had subsided, and the hall was quiet, which was why Yang Kai had waited. The morning crowds were too bothersome.
Entering the hall, Yang Kai saw the elderly caretaker napping behind the counter.
The caretaker, an old man in his fifties or sixties with sparse white hair and a kind face, seemed harmless. However, Yang Kai knew he was a formidable expert. He had once seen the old man send an unruly elite disciple flying with a flick of his finger.
Yang Kai approached the counter and tapped it gently with his broom. "Shopkeeper Meng?"
The old man, surnamed Meng, awoke with a start, his face crumpling into a frown when he saw Yang Kai, as if he had seen something unpleasant.
"What's with that look?" Yang Kai demanded.
Meng rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you come in the morning?"
Yang Kai replied confidently, "Too many people in the morning. It's quieter now."
"You youngsters have no respect for the elderly," Meng grumbled.
Yang Kai leaned in, whispering, "Who were you dreaming about?"
Meng perked up, ready to share, but saw the sly look in Yang Kai's eyes and snapped back, "How dare you question me? That's none of your business!"
"Was she beautiful?" Yang Kai teased.
"Very!" Meng drooled slightly, lost in his thoughts.
"Curvy, fair-skinned, with long legs?" Yang Kai continued.
"Yes, yes..." Meng nodded eagerly, almost seeing Yang Kai as a confidant.
Yang Kai smirked.
Meng's face turned beet red with embarrassment, realizing he had been tricked.